A study conducted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has confirmed a 25.6 per cent spike in people playing tennis around the globe.
It was found that 84.4 million people participated in some form of tennis activity in 2019, with that number rising to 106 million as of today.
A breakdown of the participation figures per region is as follows: Asia - 35.3 million (33.4 per cent)
Europe - 29.6 million (27.9 per cent)
North America - 28.8 million (27.2 per cent)
South America - 8.8 million (8.3 per cent)
Oceania - 1.8 million (1.7 per cent)
Africa - 892,000 (0.8 per cent)
Central America & Caribbean - 665,000 (0.6 per cent)
The report states why the sport is experiencing an uptick in people picking up a racquet below:
An increase in tennis’ popularity playing through into participation
Dedicated growth strategies led by National Tennis Associations around the world in partnership with the ITF
Role models who are helping to inspire the next generation of players nationally or globally, such as Qinwen Zheng (China), Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), Naomi Osaka (Japan) and Jannik Sinner (Italy).
Underpinned by investment into the game and its infrastructure, including courts and coaches.
ITF President David Haggerty is impressed by the positive numbers that illustrate the sport is constantly growing and evolving.
"These encouraging figures, coming out of our latest Global Tennis Report, highlight tennis as one of the most popular sports played and enjoyed worldwide.
"More players, playing more often; this is what we do. The significant growth in participation reflects the proactive and sustained efforts of National Associations, supported by the ITF as the global guardians of the game, to expand tennis in a strategic and inclusive manner, and in all corners of the globe.
"The Report is the only one of its kind, providing an up-to-date and in-depth picture of the global tennis community. The report confirms we are a sport in good shape, with millions worldwide enjoying the health and social benefits it brings."
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